The RE 100 – a global initiative launched in September 2014 by the CDP and Climate Group – has quickly reached critical mass. RE100 galvanizes corporations to commit to a time-bound goal to power the entirety of their operations with renewable energy, and offers technical and educational assistance to help make the goals reality. Over Read more »

First Affirmative Financial Network unequivocally condemns the acts of domestic terrorism carried out by white supremacists this past weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia. First Affirmative was founded on, and remains committed to, the principles of diversity, inclusion, and sustainability, and stands opposed to any behavior that is intended to deny the rights of, or to otherwise Read more »

Much has been written on the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement as fear of unchecked climate change abounds. However, despite (and in some cases, subsequent to) the decision, state and local governments and the private sector have made unprecedented commitments to meet climate goals set by the agreement: A long and growing list Read more »

While on one hand, long-term ESG issues raised via shareholder proposals are increasingly receiving serious consideration, opponents of the proposal process wish to eliminate them altogether. All fiduciaries have a duty to monitor investment risk and many, including First Affirmative, consider filing proposals to be inherent to this duty. The Financial CHOICE Act recently passed Read more »

Shareholder advocates have long pressed for increased disclosure from companies on their exposure to, and management of, climate risks and opportunities. In April, shareholders won major victories at Occidental Petroleum and Exxon Mobil. Via shareholder proposals (shareholder resolutions), both companies were asked to report on the impact of global measures designed to limit global warming Read more »

In May, I presented two shareholder proposals on behalf of First Affirmative clients at annual general meetings. At Kinder Morgan, the proposal asked the company to disclose its analysis of carbon asset risk and its plans to address climate change. At Travelers, the topic was disclosure of lobbying policies and expenditure. For me, this tool Read more »

By Greg Jackson, 2016 SRI Conference Scholar The updated guidance issued by the Department of Labor (DOL) in October 2015 acknowledged that fiduciaries can proactively apply Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) factor analysis when making investment decisions, and that those factors may have a "direct relationship to the economic and financial value of an investment." What Read more »

For years the U.S. has enjoyed an abundance of water for households, business, and agriculture. However, within the last decade, the western U.S. has begun to experience its share of water stress and droughts showing the need for more awareness and for the need to implement solutions focused on mitigation and adaptation. Peter Culp, an Read more »

Compiled by Robin Miller, 2016 SRI Conference Scholar Those who attended the 27th Conference on Sustainable, Responsible, Impact (SRI) Investing in Denver may have noticed a slight change in demographics, with more faces of Millennials and Gen Z'ers gracing the crowd. For twelve of these younger faces, attendance was made possible through the SRI Scholarship Read more »

Robin Miller, 2016 SRI Conference Scholar Women as investors and entrepreneurs are a powerful and growing source for good. Over the next few decades, $30 trillion in wealth will be transferred to a younger generation, and women stand to receive well more than half. Recognizing this, there is a growing body of evidence that using Read more »